The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-10-08
A YOUTH IN THE TOLLS.
LESTER PATTERSON JAILED ON a
CHARGE OF THEFT.


Cash-He Makes a Clean Breast o.
the Crime.
A strange robbery was discovered yester
dav. and it is more remarkable because Of
the youth of the perpetrator and the sys-
tematic way in which he continued to rob
for some months
Lester Patterson is a boy about II years
old For some time past he has been in the
Central railroads Bull street ticket Office
He was a steady boy, Of good habits and
very ambitions TO learn the railroad bust
ness. ami 10 rise TO a high position. He was
considered a thoroughly honest boy, and
ii such had not been the opinion OF his supe-
riors his career would have been cut short
long ago. For months past the cash in the
ticket Office has been short every now and
then. Tickets would be turned in by con
ductors. but the Bull street Office would
make no return Of cash
Ticket Agent J. C. Shaw and his assist
ant. Mr.. c. o NunCezer. maize the short
age good out of their salaries, but 1t was an
expensive thing for them, and what worried
them more than the loss of the money, was
the fact that no matter how careful they
were, the shortages occurred all the same.
THE BOYS CAREER
A month or 50 ago Patterson was pro-
NOTED, and given position in the office OF
the Auditor Of Receipts, and his salary was
increased from SIS 70 80 a month. Strange
20 say, from the day he left the Bull street
Office the shortages ceased, hut now and
fhen they occurred at the depot ticket Office,
Mr. Nungezsr's cash there being less in the
morning than when he deposited it in the
safe the night before. The matter caused
Efessrs Shaw and Nungezer any amount OF
ANNOYANCE. As they felt that the manage
Iment of the road would not like 50 frequent
reports Of shortages, and they have been
watching carefully to try and discover if
any one was robbing them.
The passenger depot is locked up at night,
rs is also the ticket office and the safe where
the money is kept, but Thursday night the
Waterman noticed a dim light in the hall
way.
RoBBING THE SAFE.
He looked about to see who was there,
and be discovered young Patterson In the
ticket Office He was going to arrest him,
but Patterson said. why, you know me, ]
belong here. Take me over TO that police
man He viii tell you who / am
They went over to where the policeman
was standing, and he said that be knew the
boy, that he worked for the road, and 80 he
was permitted TO 60. The case was re-
ported. however, and yesterday morning
when Mr.. Nungezer opened the office one Of
the officials Of the road walked in and told
him that Patterson had been caught in there
uuring the night.
Mr Nungezer said well, you stand By me
now while I count my cash. On the top Of
the pile of cash IN the drawer should be two
50 bills. beneath them one $40 and below
il a number OF s. bills. He then opened the
drawer and found that the two so bills,
one SO and one - were gone.
II The OFFICERS HANDS.
After Mr. Nungezer had sold the tickets
for the outgoing train he went TO the Office
of Justice Waring Russell and swore out a
warrant for PattersOn's arrest. Detective
WesherhOrn went down to the auditors
Office to serve it He called Patterson out
In the hallway, and told him that ne had
warrant for his arrest on the charge Of
theft
IAN right, sir, III go with you, he re
piled
On the way to the Justices Office Patter-
son confessed to stealing from the safe.
though during the first part Of the walk he
was not communicative. He owned up To
stealing both from the depot Office and from
the Bull street Office. When asked how he
got into the depot Office he said that he had
duplicate keys to the depot and Office doors
and 10 the safe.
Where did you get themF was asked
HAD DUPLICATE KEYS MADE.
81 had them made when was in the Bull
street Office
''why did you not give them up when
You left there.7
NOBODY knew | had them.n
''Have you got the S55 you took from the
safe with your
81 didn't take So. only took S4O.n
How much have you spentf
a dollar and half
Have you got the balance with your
mo, its at home"
''You are sure you have not got it with
your
''Yes. l have it in my pocket"
Il thought you said it was at home"
1.-The KEYS are at home.n
He then gave up SIS. which was all he
had left, and he said that it was railroad
money. the money he took from the safe
Mr. Nungezer Questioned him when he
reached Justice Russell's Office, and be ad-
united the same facts of which he had told
the detective, and further that while he was
at the Bull street Office he stole regularly
from the money drawer, and sold tickets
for which he made no returns.
WANTED TO CONFESS
He made the confession freely. though
he was cautioned by Mr. Lawton,
the attorney for the road, that be was not
compelled to criminate himself, and If he
did not want to make any confession not TO
do il. but to refuse to answer all questions.
he said that he WAS willing to tell that he
knew he had done wrong and that he ex-
pected to suffer for il.
The Justice said that he would have to
require 81 900 bond. and some of the
boys relations tried to obtain il for him.
hut did not succeed. He sat in the Justices
Office all day, his eyes wet and red from
crying. He said that he had done wrong
and was sorry for it, but that was not what
troubled him. He thought the news of his
rnisloing would kill his mother, and he cried
on her account. He was lonesome, too.
COMMITTED TO JAIL.
Late in the afternoon a commitment to
Jail was made out, and Detective Wether-
horn took the boy TO his home where the
false keys wege obtained, and they went
from there to the jail where he was locked
mp. and where he now Is. A gentleman con
nected with the railroad company said that
all the officials OF the road regretted having
10 punish the young lad, and perhaps send
hun to the penitemtiary, but that the crime
was deliberate one. Ii he had simply taken
money once it would be a different
t1ing, but % systematically rob the money
drawer and TO have false Keys made 50 that
he could open TWO doors and the safe was
such a fragrant crime that 70 pass it over
would be n establish precedent that
might be the cause OF immense losses TO tho